NATO sticking to 2014 pullout date for now (AP)

BRUSSELS ? NATO's top official said Monday that the alliance will adhere to its plans to hand over security to local forces in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, comments that came after France said it would push NATO to speed up its timeline for the handover of combat operations by a year.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen acknowledged that the final transition phase, which involves handing over lead responsibility for provinces and districts to Afghan authorities, would start from "mid-2013." A number of areas and towns already have been handed over to the Afghan army and police since the transition started a year ago.

Nonetheless, the overall NATO plan is still pegged on a 2014 pullout date, Fogh Rasmussen said after a meeting with Romanian President Traian Basescu.

"We will stick to the roadmap that was outlined at the NATO summit in Lisbon in 2010, according to which we will gradually hand over lead responsibility to the Afghans, a process that has been started and hopefully will be completed by the end of 2014," Fogh Rasmussen said.

Last week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy jolted NATO by announcing France would speed up its exit and ask NATO to end its combat mission in 2013. The announcement came after an Afghan soldier killed 4 French soldiers on Jan. 20.

The move was seen as the latest crack in a coalition already strained by economic troubles in Europe and the United States, the Afghan government's sluggish battle against corruption, and a Taliban insurgency that remains unbeaten after more than a decade of war.

It's unclear if Sarkozy's call for all foreign forces to hand security over to the Afghan forces in 2013 will have traction when is presented on Thursday and Friday at a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels. Britain and Germany have already indicated they would stick to the 2014 timeline.

Basescu said Romania, with a contingent of 1,900 troops, will focus on training Afghanistan's paramilitary police forces.

Fogh Rasmussen said "there is nothing new" in the fact that from mid-2013 the role of coalition forces in Afghanistan will start changing from combat to a support role.

NATO is speeding up the training of the Afghan security forces, which are due to gradually expand to over 350,000 members. But incidents in which Afghan soldiers have turned on NATO troops have raised fears of increased Taliban infiltration of the Afghan police and army.

France, which now has about 3,600 soldiers in the coalition force, joins Britain, Germany and Italy in the top five largest troop-contributing nations. All those national contingents are dwarfed by the 90,000-strong U.S. force.

Sarkozy's government has been under political pressure to withdraw French troops before the United States' pegged pullout in 2014. Polls show most French want an early pullout ? and such a move could affect Sarkozy's re-election prospects.

Socialist candidate Francois Hollande, the front-runner in the polls, has said that if elected this spring he hopes to withdraw French forces by the end of this year.

___

Slobodan Lekic can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/slekich

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_eu/eu_nato_afghanistan

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Romney Making His Break (talking-points-memo)

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NBC asks Romney to remove news material from ad (AP)

WASHINGTON ? NBC asked GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Saturday to pull a campaign advertisement made up almost entirely of a 1997 "Nightly News" report on Newt Gingrich's ethics committee reprimand.

The "History Lesson" ad started running in Florida on the weekend, when it is harder for stations to switch ad traffic even if they want to. Broadcast days before Tuesday's primary, the ad shows former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw saying that some of Gingrich's House colleagues had raised questions about the then-speaker's "future effectiveness."

Under Brokaw's image is a line that reads ? "Paid for by Romney for President, Approved by Mitt Romney."

The footage was used without permission and the extensive use of the broadcast "inaccurately suggests that NBC News and Mr. Brokaw have consented to the use of this material and agree with the political position espoused by the videos," NBC's vice president of media law, David N. Sternlicht, wrote Romney's campaign manager, Matt Rhoades.

"Aside from the obvious copyright issues, this use of the voice of Mr. Brokaw and the NBC News name exploits him and the journalistic credibility of NBC News," the letter said. The network asked for the campaign to stop running the ad immediately and revise any other videos or commercials to remove at NBC material.

"As a news organization, NBC News objects to any use of NBC News journalists and our copyrighted material that suggests to the public that we or our journalists are taking sides with any individual or organization involved in a political campaign or dispute, and we request that your organization respect that concern," the letter said.

Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said the campaign isn't likely to stop running the ad.

"We just received the letter. We are reviewing it, but we believe it falls within fair use," he said. "We didn't take the entire broadcast; we just took the first 30 seconds."

NBC spokeswoman Lauren Kapp said a similar request went to other campaigns that "have inappropriately" used material from "Nightly News," "Meet the Press," "Today" and MSNBC. Kapp said she was not aware of such uses by other campaigns.

Brokaw said in a statement released by NBC that he was "extremely uncomfortable with the extended use of my personal image in this political ad. I do not want my role as a journalist compromised for political gain by any campaign."

Brokaw stepped down in 2004 after 21 years as anchor and managing editor of "Nightly News," but continues to report for the network, including on the 2012 presidential campaign.

Asked about Brokaw's concern, Fehrnstrom said only, "We respect him as a newsman who has a lot of credibility, but we believe this falls within fair use standards."

The House ethics panel investigated Gingrich's use of tax-exempt organizations. The case ended in January 1997 with a reprimand by the House and a $300,000 penalty against Gingrich for misleading the committee and prolonging its investigation.

Romney has sought the release of all records from the probe. The committee did make public its final report as well as exhibits ? which amounted to a comprehensive account of its findings. The head of the ethics committee during the Gingrich investigation, former Republican Rep. Nancy Johnson, said the committee traditionally does not publicly release investigative documents.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_el_pr/us_romney_ad

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British police arrest 5 in tabloid bribery probe (AP)

LONDON ? British police searched the offices of Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers Saturday after arresting a police officer and four current and former staff of his tabloid The Sun as part of an investigation into police bribery by journalists.

The arrests spread the scandal over tabloid wrongdoing ? which has already shut down one paper, the News of the World ? to a second Murdoch newspaper.

London's Metropolitan Police said two men aged 48 and one aged 56 were arrested on suspicion of corruption early in the morning at homes in and around London. A 42-year-old man was detained later at a London police station.

Murdoch's News Corp. confirmed that all four were current or former Sun employees. The BBC and other British media identified them as former managing editor Graham Dudman, former deputy editor Fergus Shanahan, current head of news Chris Pharo and crime editor Mike Sullivan.

A fifth man, a 29-year-old police officer, was arrested at the London station where he works.

Officers searched the men's homes and the east London headquarters of the media mogul's British newspapers for evidence.

The investigation into whether reporters illegally paid police for information is running parallel to a police inquiry into phone hacking by Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World.

Police said Saturday's arrests were made as a result of information provided by the Management and Standards Committee of Murdoch's News Corp., the internal body tasked with rooting out wrongdoing.

News Corp. said it was cooperating with police.

"News Corporation made a commitment last summer that unacceptable news gathering practices by individuals in the past would not be repeated," it said in a statement.

Thirteen people have now been arrested in the bribery probe, though none has yet been charged.

They include Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of Murdoch's News International; ex-News of the World editor Andy Coulson ? who is also Prime Minister David Cameron's former communications chief; and journalists from the News of the World and The Sun.

Two of the London police force's top officers resigned in the wake of the revelation last July that the News of the World had eavesdropped on the cell phone voicemail messages of celebrities, athletes, politicians and even an abducted teenager in its quest for stories.

Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old tabloid amid a wave of public revulsion, and the scandal has triggered a continuing public inquiry into media ethics and the relationship between the press, police and politicians.

An earlier police investigation failed to find evidence that hacking went beyond one reporter and a private investigator, who were both jailed in 2007 for eavesdropping on the phones of royal staff.

But News Corp. has now acknowledged it was much more widespread.

Last week the company agreed to pay damages to 37 hacking victims, including actor Jude Law, soccer star Ashley Cole and British politician John Prescott.

The furor that consumed the News of the World continues to rattle other parts of Murdoch's media empire.

As well as investigating phone hacking and allegations that journalists paid police for information, detectives are looking into claims of computer hacking by Murdoch papers.

News Corp. has admitted that the News of the World hacked the emails as well as the phone of Chris Shipman, the son of serial killer Harold Shipman. And The Times of London has acknowledged that a former reporter tried to intercept emails to unmask an anonymous blogger.

News Corp. is preparing to launch a new Sunday newspaper ? likely called the Sunday Sun ? to replace the News of the World.

___

Jill Lawless can be reached at: http://twitter.com/JillLawless

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_phone_hacking

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Behind Obama's financial aid 'shopping sheets' (AP)

NEW YORK ? President Barack Obama wants to make it easier to size up the cost of college.

As part of his broad plans to make college more affordable, Obama said Friday that he would push for financial aid "shopping sheets" that make it easier for families to comparison shop between schools.

Federal education officials say the goal is make adoption of the form mandatory for schools to maintain access to federal aid. That would be a powerful incentive, as the federal government issued more than $140 billion in grants and loans last year.

As it stands, officials say the financial aid award letters that schools mail out to students in the spring can be unclear or even misleading. That can result in students signing up for more debt than they realize.

For example, schools usually state an "out of pocket" cost in award letters after subtracting aid such as grants and scholarships. But some schools also subtract loans from the out-of-pocket cost. That's despite the fact that loans actually push up costs because of interest charges.

Schools also may not spell out the type of loans that's included in the aid package, even though the terms on federal and private loans can differ significantly.

To address the issue, the Department of Education and the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rolled out a model financial aid form in October and asked for the public's comments on how it could be improved. On Friday, the CFPB said feedback indicated the most important figure for students is the amount of debt they would have upon graduation.

The Department of Education was required to develop the model form as part of federal education reforms in 2008. The adoption of such a form has also been widely supported by student advocates.

The push to standardize financial aid award letters comes at a time when students are graduating with more debt than ever before. The Institute for College Access & Success estimates that two-thirds of graduates have student loans, with an average debt of about $24,000.

___

Follow Candice Choi at http://www.twitter.com/candicechoi

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_bi_ge/us_comparing_college_costs

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Qmadix Metalix Snap-On Cover for iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, Verizon iPhone 4

The Qmadix Metalix Snap-On Cover adds style, sophistication and protection to your iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, or Verizon iPhone 4.? The durable but lightweight, textured polycarbonate border helps to keep a firm grip on your device.

Aluminum alloy accents enhance the look for the iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, or Verizon iPhone 4 without adding bulk or unwanted weight.

Features:

• Form-fit design
• Access to all buttons and controls
• Easy installation
• Protects from bumps and scratches
• Screen left exposed
• Aluminum alloy accents
• Lightweight
  

Please Note: Product images, including color, may differ from actual product appearance.

Works with: iPhone 4S, AT&T iPhone 4, Verizon iPhone 4

Source: http://store.mobileburn.com/content/accessories/4-123--9658.htm

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Severe flooding, landslides kill 6 in Fiji (AP)

SUVA, Fiji ? Severe flooding and landslides in Fiji have killed six people and left hundreds more homeless.

The permanent secretary of information for the South Pacific nation said Thursday that heavy rain since last weekend has forced 3,500 people into temporary shelters. Sharon Smith-Johns also says some people have lost all their possessions.

She says a landslide Wednesday killed a family of four, including two toddlers, in the remote Tukuraki village on the main island of Viti Levu. She says two farmers also died in separate incidents as they tried to rescue livestock on the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

Western regions of Viti Levu have been worst hit. Smith-Johns says a break in the weather Thursday is giving people hope that the worst is over.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_re_as/as_fiji_floods

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Japan posts first annual trade deficit since 1980

A man strolls outside a container terminal in Tokyo, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Japan marked its first trade deficit since 1980, a 2.49 trillion yen ($32 billion) shortfall for 2011 caused in part by last year's tsunami and the rising value of the yen, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)

A man strolls outside a container terminal in Tokyo, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Japan marked its first trade deficit since 1980, a 2.49 trillion yen ($32 billion) shortfall for 2011 caused in part by last year's tsunami and the rising value of the yen, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)

A worker rides a motorbike at a container terminal in Tokyo Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Japan marked its first trade deficit since 1980, a 2.49 trillion yen ($32 billion) shortfall for 2011 caused in part by last year's tsunami and the rising value of the yen, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)

A container ship leaves a container terminal in Tokyo Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Japan marked its first trade deficit since 1980, a 2.49 trillion yen ($32 billion) shortfall for 2011 caused in part by last year's tsunami and the rising value of the yen, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)

A driver closes a back door of a container at a container terminal in Tokyo Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Japan marked its first trade deficit since 1980, a 2.49 trillion yen ($32 billion) shortfall for 2011 caused in part by last year's tsunami and the rising value of the yen, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)

A security person pedals a bicycle at a container terminal in Tokyo, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Japan reported its first annual trade deficit since 1980 as it imported expensive energy to offset shortfalls caused by the devastating tsunami and manufacturers shifted production overseas to avoid the damage inflicted by the strong yen. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)

TOKYO (AP) ? The devastating March tsunami and shift of manufacturing overseas plunged Japan's trade account into the red for the first time since 1980. Experts said the years of Japan running massive trade surpluses are likely over.

The 2.49 trillion yen ($32 billion) deficit for 2011 reflected a surge in energy imports to cover shortfalls caused by the disaster. and a 2.7 percent decline in the value of Japan's exports to 65.55 trillion yen ($843 billion), according to the Ministry of Finance figures released Wednesday.

Manufacturers have moved some production overseas to avoid the damage inflicted by the strong yen, a trend that has accelerated in recent years. Some economists say the trade balance will be in the black again within two years, but the era of very large surpluses that allowed Japan to build a huge pile of foreign reserves has ended.

"It reflects fundamental changes in Japan's economy, particularly among manufacturers," said Hideki Matsumura, senior economist at Japan Research Institute. "Japan is losing its competitiveness to produce domestically."

"It's gotten difficult for manufacturers to export, so they're they've moved production abroad so that products sold outside the country are made outside the country," he said.

The yen's surge to record levels against the dollar and euro has made Japanese exports more expensive and also erodes the value of foreign earned income when brought home. Recently, manufacturers such as Nissan Motor Co. and Panasonic Corp. have shifted some of their output to factories abroad. At the same time, Japan is facing intense competition from South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, where labor and production costs are cheaper.

Japanese manufacturers have been battered by a host of negatives in the past year. The tsunami temporarily disrupted the production of automobile makers and other manufacturers. Weakness in the U.S. economy and Europe's debt problems and recent flooding in Thailand, where many Japanese automakers have assembly lines, also contributed to export declines.

"The impact of the supply chain problem and the temporary effect of the earthquake will fade. We may see Japan's trade balance recover to a small trade surplus, but it won't return to the pre-crisis level," said Masayuki Kichikawa, chief Japan economist at B of A Merrill Lynch in Tokyo.

"The big surpluses are gone. Japan's trade balance should be almost balanced or at best a small surplus."

Another major factor behind the deficit was the impact of the expensive energy imports Japan turned to after the March disaster touched off a nuclear crisis and led the country to shut down, or not restart, a large portion of its reactors, said Martin Schulz, senior economist with the Fujitsu Research Institute.

He said pressure to import energy will continue to weigh heavily on Japan for the next year, but will subside as the country pursues greater efficiency measures.

Much of Japan's oil and natural gas is imported from the Middle East, with which Japan had a 10.88 trillion yen trade deficit last year, up 33 percent, figures showed.

Japan still has a trade surplus with the U.S., although that is shrinking. For 2011, exports exceeded imports by 4.10 trillion yen ($52.6 billion), down 8.2 percent from a year earlier. Exports to the U.S. declined 2.8 percent to 10.02 trillion yen during the year, while imports inched up 0.2 percent to 5.9 trillion.

Japan had a 1.57 trillion yen trade surplus with China for the year. A breakdown of figures showed a trade deficit with mainland China, but a big surplus with Hong Kong.

Trade with Germany was fairly balanced last year as imports grew nearly 10 percent to 1.86 trillion yen. Exports came to 1.87 trillion yen, giving Japan a relatively small trade surplus of 16 billion yen.

The turmoil in Europe and the U.S. has driven up the yen as global investors flock to the currency as a relative safe haven. The yen hit multiple historic highs against the dollar, and touched a record against the euro earlier this month as well.

The yen is trading at around 78 to the dollar recently, a level that is extremely painful for exporters. Five years ago, the dollar was trading above 120 yen.

Matsumura believes that Japan will likely log another trade deficit this year amid prospects for high energy prices and a persistently strong yen, but that renewed strength in the global and Asian regional economies could put Japan back into the black in 2013.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-25-AS-Japan-Trade/id-f800d4d1a86642a29db155a7136b5bbc

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Chart: Android Is Catching Up To iOS In Mobile Video Views

A year ago in January, 2011, Apple dominated mobile video views, with iOS devices accounting for 87 percent of all mobile views, according to data from video encoding and short-url service?Vid.ly. Android had a scant 5 percent. By December, 2011, Android's share of mobile video watching grew to 32 percent, while Apple's shrank to 52 percent.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ro2JoQ5_M3w/

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?Pretty Wild? Star Tess Taylor Arlington Busted For Felony Possession

“Pretty Wild” Star Tess Taylor Arlington Busted For Felony Possession

Model Tess Taylor, 22, who starred on the reality show “Pretty Wild” on E!, was taken into custody by police earlier this month for felony [...]

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/stupidcelebrities/~3/ORcVr4dLeUs/

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Comments from meeting of EU finance ministers (Reuters)

BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? EU finance ministers and officials met on Tuesday to discuss a new treaty which aims to tighten fiscal discipline in the euro zone.

Following are comments after the end of the meeting:

GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER WOLFGANG SCHAEUBLE ON GREECE:

"Greece must implement the agreed measures and reforms. And of course all Greek parties must agree to the measures and a new program, independently of the upcoming election.

"The contribution of private creditors is about reaching debt sustainability defined as 120 percent of GDP by 2020 as the heads of state and governments decided last year. In the current negotiations with private creditors we are still some way from that.

"Of course it is clear the IMF has to be part of a second package for Greece and so the talks will be continued in the next days on that basis.

"The (EU-IMF) troika sometimes has the impression that not everything agreed in the first program has been implemented. We told Greece clearly that what has not been implemented yet must be implemented. It strengthens the confidence that what is agreed is implemented.

"Without the commitment of all (parties) and without assurance that independently of the outcome of elections the commitment is valid, it would be irresponsible for me as finance minister to sign."

ON TALKS ON PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN GREECE:

"As long as we do not have debt sustainability, we do not have a new program.

"That (people saying this is my last offer) happens in every bazaar. You do not need to be impressed by that. At least I do not. I am a good negotiator but that does not intimidate me."

ON EFSF AFTER S&P DOWNGRADE:

"(EFSF CEO) Klaus Regling said that the EFSF was fully able to act and anyway, the low reaction on capital markets show that we reacted properly with certain calmness. The most important was that we decided to get the ESM into place as quickly as possible."

ON ESM PERMANENT BAILOUT FUND:

"It will be a lot more trustworthy because of course nothing convinces investors as much as when the euro zone member states have paid capital into a stabilization mechanism.

"We have the option in the treaty to pay in tranches more quickly but the head of the Eurogroup said it is clear all countries would have to agree to it. That may be a topic at the meeting of heads of state and government. In any case, we are ready to do it and we would welcome it if payments would be made more quickly.

"The upper limit has been set at 500 billion euros, that is no surprise. You know the heads of state and government will check that again in March but the EFSF is fully capable of acting and so is the ESM."

Two tranches of the five that were initially planned would be useful this year.

ON "FISCAL COMPACT" TREATY:

"We are very confident that we will decide the fiscal compact much quicker than the summit in December had planned, when it set March as a timeline.

"There must be a tight link between the fiscal compact and the ESM treaty as that is exactly where solidity and solidarity come together, two sides of the same coin... That is sorted. In terms of national debt brakes, it is about a very concrete design, anchoring them in the national legal systems and a control of that by the European Court of Justice, also with the possibility of imposing fines.

"The agreement should be transposed into EU law as quickly as possible. I use every opportunity to convince my British colleague."

ON THE OUTLOOK:

"We are not over the hill but we have reason to feel confirmed in the path we have taken. Reason to be confident we are...solving the problems step by step, just like the chancellor keeps saying.

"The more the rest of the world... sees that we are implementing what is agreed and not just announcing things, the more we win back trust."

Following are comments from earlier in Tuesday, before the talks began:

GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER WOLFGANG SCHAEUBLE ON MONDAY'S MEETING OF EURO ZONE FINANCE MINISTERS:

"We made good progress but it's decisive we finished negotiations on the ESM yesterday."

ON PROGRESS TO SOLVE THE EURO ZONE CRISIS:

"We're not over the hill but the auctions in the first weeks of the year of Italian, Spanish and other countries' debt show that we have reason to be confident that we're not just on the right path but that we'll be continuing on this path successfully this year."

ON THE FISCAL COMPACT:

"The goal remains that one day in the not too far future we can put it into treaty law."

GREEK FINANCE MINISTER EVANGELOS VENIZELOS ON PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN A GREEK BAILOUT:

"We have the green light from the Eurogroup to close the deal with the private sector in the next few days."

DUTCH FINANCE MINISTER JAN KEES DE JAGER ON GREECE'S FINANCIAL TROUBLES AND THE BAILOUT PLAN:

"We have to wait. Obviously Greece and the banks have to do more in order to reach a sustainable debt level. A sustainable debt level is a precondition for the next program."

AUSTRIAN FINANCE MINISTER MARIA FEKTER ON THE GREEK POLITICAL PROCESS:

"We will only be able to finalize (the bailout plan) positively when the governing party and the other parties agree."

ON GREECE'S FISCAL PROGRESS:

"They have agreed on measures but expenditure has not really decreased. We are not satisfied ... The political level in Greece must know that we expect them to do more."

ON THE WIDER GREEK ECONOMY:

"I am skeptical, however, with regards to the implementation of reforms that should bring growth in Greece."

ON PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN THE BAILOUT:

"I expect the private sector will certainly make a significant contribution."

ON THE IDEA OF THE EFSF FUNCTIONING ALONGSIDE THE ESM:

"I think it would be possible to reach consensus on that."

(Reporting by Annika Breidthardt, John O'Donnell and and Robin Emmott)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/bs_nm/us_eurozone_ecofin

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Nonfiction Monday-- Pets

Middle school students love to read about cats and dogs. Either they have them, or they wish they had them. My Dorling-Kindersley and ASPCA god and cat care manuals are falling to pieces, so I was looking around for some other books about pets. And just so you know, I decided NOT to let my dog "write" the reviews. It may be January, but I'm not that many kinds of crazy. Yet.

Brownlee, Christen. Cute, Furry and Deadly: Diseases You Can Catch from Your Pet!
The Scholastic 24/7 books on war are very popular in my library, so I looked into the Science Behind the Scenes series. This volumn presents several real life cases where pets made their owners very sick-- prarie dogs with monkey pox, kittens with rabies, and baby chicks with salmonella. Medical terms are explained, all article are well-illustrated, and additional information is given about zoonotic diseases. Scientists who worked on the real life cases are also profiled. A glossary and resource pages are included at the end of the book.
Strengths: Rabid kitties-- what's not to like? The short chapters will appeal to nonfiction readers who like a little bit of text with their pictures.
Weaknesses: While this has really good information, I find the format hard to read. This will not be the book for my students wanting information about animal care, but will be great for the students who like grossology type books. I still like the Sheila Keenan Animals in the House for a good overview of the history of pets.

Klam, Julie. You Had Me At Woof: How Dogs Taught me the Secrets of Happiness.
This memoir is not really suitable for middle school students, but I treat myself to the occasional adult book on Friday evenings, because my life is just that exciting! Ms. Klam was trying to figure out her single life and her career when she decided that a dog was what she needed. Enter Otto, a Boston terrier, who so endeared himself to Ms. Klam that she got involved with a Boston terrier rescue group and started fostering dogs. She eventually got married and had a daughter, but continued to make the dogs a very big part of her life. I wouldn't say that this book, or the dogs, really taught me much about the secrets of happiness, but it was an amusing read, and it encouraged me to rub Sylvie's tummy while I read it. Warning: several dogs pass away in this book. Sad.

Capstone Publishers, February 2012

E ARC from Netgalley.com

This is certainly fiction, and for grades 1-3, but it was so cute that I had to take a look, even though it is waaaay on the elementary side of the Pilkey side. The Mini-Mutts are tiny little fuzzy crime fighters who are going up against Brainicat, who is evil. The text is simple, the pictures bright, and my children would have loved these when they were emergent readers. This would also be a good book to, um, read to your dog!

Source: http://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2012/01/nonfiction-monday-pets.html

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PSU editor quits after erroneous Paterno report

David Marselles a senior at Penn State from Allentown, Pa., stands with a cardboard cutout of Joe Paterno near a statue of Joe Paterno outside Beaver Stadium on the Penn State University campus Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

David Marselles a senior at Penn State from Allentown, Pa., stands with a cardboard cutout of Joe Paterno near a statue of Joe Paterno outside Beaver Stadium on the Penn State University campus Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

This is the Mount Nittany Medical Center main entrance in State College, Pa., where former Penn State footbal coach Joe Paterno is in serious condition Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? The managing editor of a student-run news organization that covers Penn State resigned Saturday after the publication's Twitter account sent messages saying former coach Joe Paterno had died, according to a letter on the publication's website.

Paterno's sons refuted accounts of their 85-year-old father's death in Twitter messages posted after those by Onward State.

"I appreciate the support & prayers. Joe is continuing to fight," Jay Paterno tweeted.

Paterno has lung cancer and has been in a hospital since Jan. 13. His doctors say recent complications have made his condition "serious."

Onward State recanted is posts, but not before the erroneous information was reported and amplified by many media organizations across the country and retweeted uncounted times. The Associated Press did not publish the report.

Devon Edwards said in the letter that he takes responsibility for the misinformation. He said the publication retracted its tweets after "the mountain of evidence stacked opposite that report became too much to ignore." He also apologized to apologized to the Paterno family and the Penn State community.

"I never, in a million years, would have thought that Onward State might be cited by the national media," his letter said. "Today, I sincerely wish it never had been."

The incorrect information found its way into media websites, including CBSSports.com, People.com and the Huffington Post.

CBSSports.com had run a photo of Paterno with a caption saying the longtime Penn State Coach "loses his battle with lung cancer at 85." The blurb did not include the source of the information.

In an apology on its site, CBSSports.com said the mistake "was the result of a failure to verify the original report. CBSSports.com holds itself to high journalistic standards, and in this circumstance tonight, we fell well short of those expectations."

Last January, several media organizations erroneously reported that U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had died after being shot in the head during a public event in Arizona.

Edwards did not explain in his letter how the error occurred but hinted that the pressure to get the story first may have been a factor.

"In this day and age, getting it first often conflicts with getting it right, but our intention was never to fall into that chasm," the letter said. "All I can do now is promise that in the future, we will exercise caution, restraint, and humility."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-22-Penn%20State-Paterno-Editor%20Resigns/id-cc9f03ea8ba34b6bb0db54dc32df58af

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LG X3 supposedly leaks, to challenge HTC Edge as first quad-core phone?

Your next tablet is going to rock a quad-core chip, so why not stuff that same silicon into your next phone too? Per PocketNow, that's apparently what LG has up its sleeve with the forthcoming X3. Evidently, the four-core Tegra 3 device will also tote a 1280 x 720 4.7-inch display, 16GB of storage, Ice Cream Sandwich and NFC all in a svelte 9mm package. The whispers didn't stop there, of course, indicating it'll also wield 21Mbps HSPA support coupled with 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. So will the X3 be the world's first quad-core phone, much in the vein of LG's G2X that preceded it? Or will it be beaten to the punch by HTC and Samsung? Here's to hoping we'll find out at MWC.

LG X3 supposedly leaks, to challenge HTC Edge as first quad-core phone? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  PocketNow  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/20/lg-x3-supposedly-leaks-to-challenge-htc-edge-as-first-quad-core/

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Must-have robots come nearer with software explosion

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Doctors Without Borders shuts 2 Somalia hospitals

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) ? The aid group Doctors Without Borders says it is closing its two largest medical centers in Mogadishu after the shooting deaths of two staffers.

The group, which is also known as MSF, said Thursday the two 120-bed medical facilities treat malnutrition, measles and cholera.

The closure of the two facilities cuts in half the assistance that the aid group is providing in Mogadishu. MSF will continue to provide medical care in other areas of the capital, as well as in 10 other locations in Somalia.

Two MSF staffers were killed Dec. 29 by a disgruntled, gun-wielding Somali employee suspected of theft and receiving kickbacks.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-19-AF-Somalia/id-14084f614af444ef87fffa3fa187b2a9

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Austrian panel removes balls from culture list (AP)

VIENNA ? A committee reporting to the U.N.'s culture organization struck Vienna's many balls from its list of Austria's noteworthy traditions on Thursday amid an uproar over one of the annual champagne-laced galas that critics say attracts neo-Nazis from across Europe.

The decision by the Austrian UNESCO Commission was welcomed by those who oppose the one often-criticized ball, staged in part by dueling fraternities including far-right alumni who display saber scars on their cheeks as badges of honor. But the committee also outraged supporters who reject labeling that event as a magnet for backers of Nazi ideology.

Martin Graf, a leading member of the rightist Freedom Party, said critics of the WKR-Ball are trying to "publicly pillory and vilify ... all those who do not share their ideologically distorted opinion." Party chief Heinz-Christian Strache called the committee's decision a result of "mobbing from the extreme-left."

Like others worldwide, The Austrian committee is a bridge between the government and the Paris-based U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization but is not part of it.

The decision is symbolic and has no bearing on whether future balls can be held. But the fact that the committee's decision was due in part to public pressure reflected a path being traveled by Austria, which has moved from a postwar portrayal of being Nazi Germany's first victim to acknowledging that it was Hitler's willing partner. Anti-Semitism remains among some members of the older generation today, but most young Austrians reject Nazi ideology and condemn the part their parents might have played in the Holocaust.

The committee spoke of a "serious mistake" in listing the fraternity WKR-Ball as one of the nearly two dozen balls comprising an aspect of "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Austria." Noting that the inclusion of the many balls was approved by a panel including representatives of five government ministries, the committee said it decided to strike the whole category of Vienna Ball from its register.

"In connection with the WKR-Ball, we can tell you that we have removed the tradition 'Vienna Ball' from our list," said an email to The Associated Press, using the event's German acronym.

While some of the more opulent Vienna balls are criticized as a showcase of the rich, most are devoid of direct political controversy. For centuries, the city's high society has waltzed blissfully through wars, recessions and occasional firebomb-throwing anarchists opposed to the moneyed decadence they think such events represent.

But the fraternity ball started drawing flack as Austrians began to come to grips decades ago with the fact that their country was one of Nazi Germany's most willing allies instead of its first victim through its 1938 annexation by Hitler. Over recent years criticism of the WKR-Ball's staging has grown ? and protests outside its venue, the ornate Hofburg palace, have occasionally turned violent.

Bowing to the pressure, the Hofburg announced late last year that the ball will have to move elsewhere as of 2013. Tensions this year were exacerbated by its date ? Friday, Jan. 27, will be the 67th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the most notorious of the Nazi death camps.

Organizers said that was coincidence, with the event always held on the last Friday of January. But opponents were incensed.

Ariel Muzicant, head of Vienna's Jewish community, spoke of "a mockery" of the Holocaust, asking sarcastically: "Are they kind of celebrating the 2 million dead in Auschwitz, or what? Are they dancing, kind of, on 6 million Jews, or what are they thinking of?"

The issue made it to the floor of parliament Thursday, with members of the opposition Green party demanding that the ball be observed by government intelligence agencies and saying past attendees included prominent members of the extreme right and neo-Nazis.

Defense Minister Norbert Darabos described the WKR-Ball as an event "where year after year, internationally known right extremists pass the door handle to each other" ? and forbade members of the military to wear their uniforms if attending.

Defending the ball ? and its place among others on the UNESCO Committee list ? is the Freedom Party, which has coupled populism to lurking Islamophobia and latent anti-Semitism to become Austria's second strongest political force.

Party official Heidemarie Unterreiner urged the committee "not to be impressed by the excited politically motivated babble of some groups which use the media megaphone to create a completely false impression of one of the most significant society events of Austria."

___

George Jahn can be reached at http://twitter.com/georgejahn

__

AP video reporter Philipp Jenne contributed.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_re_eu/eu_austria_rightist_ball

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Holy Endangered Species, Batman! Little Brown Bats Nearly Extinct in Just Six Years [Science]

I've always assumed that animals gradually become endangered over a long periods of time, like many decades. But I was totally wrong: a bat species that once swarmed caves in North America has lurched towards extinction in just six years. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/A_XqwqyzBPk/holy-endangered-species-batman-little-brown-bats-nearly-extinct-in-just-six-years

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UT Brownsville Preps for Final Baseball Season

Brendan Fitzgerald

Brendan is the weekend sports anchor and reporter.

Read?more: Local, Sports, UT Brownsville Scorpions, College Baseball, NAIA, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Bryan Aughney, College BROWNSVILLE, TX -- As UT Brownsville opens spring baseball practice, the typical excitement is joined by frustration and sorrow that the program will be cut after this season.

Source: http://www.valleycentral.com/sports/story.aspx?id=708266

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Ron Paul Gains Major Endorsements You Haven't Heard About (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | This election cycle there has been a lot of talk about mainstream news media bias. The main focus of outrage regarding this bias has been the lack of relevant coverage for Texas congressman and presidential hopeful Ron Paul. Now in the thick of the Republican presidential primaries, we've been hearing on a daily basis about these "major" endorsements coming in for every candidate still in the hunt for the nomination. Well, that is, except for Ron Paul.

It would almost seem as if no one is interested in endorsing Dr. Paul. If they are the media sure doesn't seem to know about it, and if they aren't reporting on it like they seem to do with every slightest mention of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, then it must not have happened right? It appears that's just not the case. In fact there have been pretty significant endorsements that have been made recently in support of Paul.

State Senator Tom Davis of South Carolina elaborates on his endorsement of Dr. Ron Paul for President, "If you believe in the founding principle of this country, and you read Ron Paul's book, and you look at his voting record, there is only one candidate that you can vote for, there is only one candidate that does stand for individual liberty and limited government and that's Dr. Paul. Right now is the time to stand up for him. He needs our help in South Carolina. We can win this primary."

Senator Davis is considered among the biggest endorsements one could acquire in South Carolina. Many of the candidates had previously been vying for the backing of the Senator. One of those candidates was Rick Santorum who recently spoke about how big an endorsement from Senator Davis would be for his campaign to The Island Packet, "to get an endorsement from someone like Tom Davis is a big deal. It would speak volumes to folks and make them take notice and give us a look."

In the Christian Newswire last week the Evangelical leader Dr. James Linzey, the president and founder of the Military Bible Association, also endorsed Paul, saying in a statement to him, "Having thoroughly examined your political philosophy and finding that your platform is 100% in line with the Constitution of the United States of America, and examining your political record to find that you have consistently upheld the Constitution and thereby faithfully represented your constituency, and studying your statement of faith to find that your faith and religious experience is 100% compatible with Evangelical Christianity and Orthodox Christianity, I hereby endorse you for the Office of the President of the United States of America. I wish you Godspeed!"

Dr. Linzey later explained more of his endorsement in the Christian Newswire by saying, "Among the six remaining GOP hopefuls, two are evangelical -- Ron Paul and Rick Perry. But the telltale sign of being qualified for the presidency is not faith, but loyalty to the Constitution which defends the open expression of faith. Paul seems to be the candidate most loyal to the Constitution according to the records. So when other evangelical leaders endorse GOP contenders of other faiths and traditions, some of whom have received funds from special interest groups, and are not as loyal to the Constitution as is Dr. Paul, one must necessarily ask, 'What is their agenda?' because they certainly are not endorsing the most qualified nor the most evangelical. If evangelicals wish to make faith an issue, then they should take a closer look at Dr. Paul's statement on his web site, 'Let me be very clear here: I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, and I endeavor every day to follow Him in all I do and in every position I advocate.'"

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120117/pl_ac/10840705_ron_paul_gains_major_endorsements_you_havent_heard_about

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Pro Football Hall of Fame Lynn Swann Signed Mini Helmet

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Siemens puts cost of nuclear exit at 1.7 trillion euros (Reuters)

BERLIN (Reuters) ? Germany's exit from nuclear power could cost the country as much as 1.7 trillion euros ($2.15 trillion) by 2030, or two thirds of the country's GDP in 2011, according to Siemens (SIEGn.DE), which built all of Germany's 17 nuclear plants.

"This will either be paid by energy customers or taxpayers," Siemens board member Michael Suess, in charge of the company's Energy Sector, told Reuters in an interview at the annual Handelsblatt Energiewirtschaft conference.

The estimate of 1.7 trillion euros assumes strong expansion of renewables, with feed-in tariffs as the biggest chunk of costs. The cost would be lower -- at about 1.4 billion euros -- if gas was one of the major energy alternatives, Suess said.

The estimates given by Siemens factor in feed-in tariffs -- costs that utilities have to pay to generators of renewable energy -- investments into power transmission and distribution, operations and maintenance as well as technologies to store renewable energy and carbon dioxide.

"As an industry, Germany has always reached its goals. Now the whole world is looking at us. If the energy shift should fail ... it would undermine Germany's credibility as an industry nation," Suess said.

Europe's biggest economy decided to abandon nuclear power after the massive earthquake and tsunami of March 11 which hit Japanese reactors, causing an environmental disaster.

Following the disaster, Siemens pulled out of the nuclear business, planning only to supply components such as steam turbines for nuclear power plants.

NO PAWN

Siemens' estimate for the shift away from nuclear is much higher than the 250-300 billion euros estimate given earlier by Juergen Grossmann, chief executive of Germany's No.2 utility RWE (RWEG.DE). Grossmann, however, did not give a time frame for the investments.

Siemens' Energy Sector -- which is active in several areas including power transmission, solar, wind and hydro power -- achieved 27.61 billion euros in sales in the fiscal year 2011, about 38 percent of the conglomerate's revenues, while profit came in at 4.14 billion.

Last year, Siemens said it aimed to benefit from the global push into renewable energy by installing power lines to get electricity from sun-drenched and wind-swept sites to customers.

At the time, it said the global market for power transmission of high-voltage direct current could triple in the next few years to 9 billion euros.

Suess added Germany's current renewable law (EEG) was insufficient in expanding renewable energy sources -- above all, solar -- in a sustainable way, adding the incentives were unfavorable.

In Germany, generators of solar power receive a guaranteed price for their power for several decades, with no incentive to upgrade or modify their systems.

"We think that the energy system must not be a pawn of investors that aim to maximize their returns. The shift will not work with those incentives," Suess said.

"One option would be to tie incentives to innovation, whereby owners of solar panels were forced to modernize their systems. Such incentives do not exist at the moment." ($1=0.7891 euros)

(Additional reporting by Sarah Marsh and Sakari Suoninen; Editing by Mike Nesbit and Elaine Hardcastle)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120117/bs_nm/us_siemens_energy

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Unofficial Steve Jobs action figure officially canceled

By Rosa Golijan

In icons via The Verge

Remember?the incredibly realistic (and incredibly unofficial) Steve Jobs action figure?that was supposed to become available in February? The one that Apple tried to ban by making legal threats?

That action figure has officially been canceled by its maker.

According to PC World,?Tandy Cheung ??the Hong Kong businessman behind In Icons, the company which created the toy in question?? announced that he was letting go of this particular project by his own volition:

Though we still believe that we have not overstepped any legal boundaries, we have decided to completely stop the offer, production and sale of the Steve Jobs figurine?out of our heartfelt sensitivity to the feelings of the Jobs family.

Cheung goes on to explain that his company has received "immense pressure" from both lawyers representing Apple as well as Steve Jobs' family. According to him, the action figure was intended to be "a tribute" to Jobs, and "honored the copyrights and trademarks of Apple."

As we've mentioned before, Apple's legal objections should not have come as a surprise ??despite Cheung's assertions that the action figure is legally untouchable.?

In late 2010, a similar series of events played out when somewhat less realistic Steve Jobs action figures were sold through and by a website called M.I.C. Gadget. A law firm representing Apple quickly put an end to things when it?requested that the company cease marketing and selling the action figure.

Apple's lawyers claimed back then?? just as they did this time around?? that the whole "wrangle is over the likeness of the doll to the late Apple founder, the rights of which the company claims it owns," as the?Telegraph's Amy Willis explains.

And in a further case of history repeating itself, a handful of In Icon's recently out-of-production action figures have made their way onto eBay?? with price tags as high as $2,500?? just as the M.I.C. Gadget versions did after their demise.

Related stories:

Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts, or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/17/10173414-unofficial-steve-jobs-action-figure-now-officially-killed

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The illusion of courage: Why people mispredict their behavior in embarrassing situations

Public release date: 17-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Shilo Rea
shilo@cmu.edu
412-268-6094
Carnegie Mellon University

PITTSBURGHWhether it's investing in stocks, bungee jumping or public speaking, why do we often plan to take risks but then "chicken out" when the moment of truth arrives?

In a new paper in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder and Carnegie Mellon University argue that this "illusion of courage" is one example of an "empathy gap" that is, our inability to imagine how we will behave in future emotional situations. According to the empathy gap theory, when the moment of truth is far off you aren't feeling, and therefore are out of touch with, the fear you are likely to experience when push comes to shove. The research team also included Cornell University's David Dunning and former CMU graduate student Ned Welch, currently a consultant for McKinsey.

In a series of three experiments, the researchers found that people overestimate their willingness to engage in psychologically distant embarrassing public performances, and also found that they could reduce this illusion of courage by inducing immediate emotions that effectively put them in touch with the fear they would experience.

In the first two experiments, college students were asked if they would be willing to engage in a future embarrassing situation telling a funny story to their class in one study, and dancing to James Brown's "Sex Machine" in front of the class in the other in exchange for a few dollars. Students were either asked outright or after being exposed to short films that aroused mild experiences of fear and anger. Students who did not view movie clips significantly overestimated their willingness to sing or dance. When they experienced negative emotions fear and anger as a result of watching the movie clips, students were much more accurate in predicting their own future lack of interest in performing.

"Because social anxiety associated with the prospect of facing an embarrassing situation is such a common and powerful emotion in everyday life, we might think that we know ourselves well enough to predict our own behavior in such situations," said Leaf Van Boven, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder. "But the ample experience most of us should have gained with predicting our own future behavior isn't sufficient to overcome the empathy gap our inability to anticipate the impact of emotional states we aren't currently experiencing."

The illusion of courage has practical consequences. "People frequently face potential embarrassing situations in everyday life, and the illusion of courage is likely to cause us to expose ourselves to risks that, when the moment of truth arrives, we wish we hadn't taken," said George Loewenstein, the Herbert A. Simon University Professor of Economics and Psychology within CMU's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. "Knowing that, we might choose to be more cautious, or we might use the illusion of courage to help us take risks we think are worth it, knowing full well that we are likely to regret the decision when the moment of truth arrives."

###

The National Science Foundation, Carnegie Mellon's Center for Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change and the National Institute of Mental Health, provided funding for this research.

Follow the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/CMU_DietrichHSS.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 17-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Shilo Rea
shilo@cmu.edu
412-268-6094
Carnegie Mellon University

PITTSBURGHWhether it's investing in stocks, bungee jumping or public speaking, why do we often plan to take risks but then "chicken out" when the moment of truth arrives?

In a new paper in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder and Carnegie Mellon University argue that this "illusion of courage" is one example of an "empathy gap" that is, our inability to imagine how we will behave in future emotional situations. According to the empathy gap theory, when the moment of truth is far off you aren't feeling, and therefore are out of touch with, the fear you are likely to experience when push comes to shove. The research team also included Cornell University's David Dunning and former CMU graduate student Ned Welch, currently a consultant for McKinsey.

In a series of three experiments, the researchers found that people overestimate their willingness to engage in psychologically distant embarrassing public performances, and also found that they could reduce this illusion of courage by inducing immediate emotions that effectively put them in touch with the fear they would experience.

In the first two experiments, college students were asked if they would be willing to engage in a future embarrassing situation telling a funny story to their class in one study, and dancing to James Brown's "Sex Machine" in front of the class in the other in exchange for a few dollars. Students were either asked outright or after being exposed to short films that aroused mild experiences of fear and anger. Students who did not view movie clips significantly overestimated their willingness to sing or dance. When they experienced negative emotions fear and anger as a result of watching the movie clips, students were much more accurate in predicting their own future lack of interest in performing.

"Because social anxiety associated with the prospect of facing an embarrassing situation is such a common and powerful emotion in everyday life, we might think that we know ourselves well enough to predict our own behavior in such situations," said Leaf Van Boven, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder. "But the ample experience most of us should have gained with predicting our own future behavior isn't sufficient to overcome the empathy gap our inability to anticipate the impact of emotional states we aren't currently experiencing."

The illusion of courage has practical consequences. "People frequently face potential embarrassing situations in everyday life, and the illusion of courage is likely to cause us to expose ourselves to risks that, when the moment of truth arrives, we wish we hadn't taken," said George Loewenstein, the Herbert A. Simon University Professor of Economics and Psychology within CMU's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. "Knowing that, we might choose to be more cautious, or we might use the illusion of courage to help us take risks we think are worth it, knowing full well that we are likely to regret the decision when the moment of truth arrives."

###

The National Science Foundation, Carnegie Mellon's Center for Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change and the National Institute of Mental Health, provided funding for this research.

Follow the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/CMU_DietrichHSS.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/cmu-tio011712.php

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